Nationals on top thanks to largely mistake-free defense

Nationals on top thanks to largely mistake-free defense
The starting pitching and offense get most, if not all, of the headlines when talking about the Nationals and their 40-24 start. But one team statistic that some might not have realized is how well the defense has played. The Nationals lead the major leagues in fielding percentage at .990. The Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants are next at .988. The 23 errors the Nationals have surrendered are by far the lowest in the majors. The next-closest are the White Sox (28) and Giants (29). On...

No history for Scherzer, but domination is more than enough

No history for Scherzer, but domination is more than enough
It is mostly ludicrous to conjure up images of no-hitters or record-breaking strikeout performances after exactly one half-inning of baseball, but when Max Scherzer takes the mound, the conventional line of thinking doesn't apply. "If he's done it once, he can do it again," manager Dusty Baker said. "You allow yourself to think it. You don't talk about it, but you think it." "I'd like to say he surprises me," catcher Wilson Ramos, via interpreter Octavio Martinez, said. "But he...

Nats ride Scherzer's dominance, clutch hits to 4-1 win over Cubs

Nats ride Scherzer's dominance, clutch hits to 4-1 win over Cubs
This time, the Nationals put together a bunch of quality at-bats against the Cubs. And Max Scherzer was able to carve up Chicago's lineup, aside from the one ball that left the yard against him on an otherwise spectacular night on South Capitol Street. Behind Scherzer's pitching brilliance, Wilson Ramos' homer and clutch hits from Danny Espinosa and Ben Revere, the Nationals won the opener of their highly anticipated rematch series with the Cubs 4-1 before a fired-up crowd of...

Looming free agency hasn't bothered Wilson Ramos one bit

Looming free agency hasn't bothered Wilson Ramos one bit
It is a contract year for catcher Wilson Ramos, but that has not seemed to bother the six-year veteran. The 28-year-old has been with the Nationals since a mid-season trade with the Twins in 2010. For the last month, he has scorched the ball for the Nationals, hitting .340 with 33 hits, six of those home runs, and 22 RBIs. On the season, he is slashing .345/.395/.962. Ramos is set to be a free agent in 2017, currently earning $5.35 million. Shortstop Ian Desmond appeared to squeeze his bat a...

Harper slips to second in All-Star voting, Ramos up to fourth

Harper slips to second in All-Star voting, Ramos up to fourth
CHICAGO - Bryce Harper has slipped behind Dexter Fowler in All-Star balloting, but the Nationals star remains comfortably in position to earn a starting spot in the outfield for the National League in next month's Midsummer Classic. Harper, who led all NL outfielders in the first round of voting released by Major League Baseball last week, has since fallen slightly behind Fowler. The Cubs center fielder currently has received 1,170,718 votes to Harper's 1,119,168. The Mets' Yoenis Cespedes...

Charlie Fliegel: LASIK isn't the only reason Ramos has improved at the plate

Charlie Fliegel: LASIK isn't the only reason Ramos has improved at the plate
You'd be forgiven if, before this season started, you were concerned with the Nationals' catching situation and really wanted them to address it. At least I'd forgive you because I certainly felt that way. In 2014 and 2015, Wilson Ramos managed a sub-100 OPS+ and wRC+, hitting below the league average. 2015 was especially tough for him. But he wasn't always that bad. From 2011-2013, he hit a very respectable .269/.327/.449. He was a promising young hitter, then it seemed to all go away....

Baker to Turner: "The world's going to be yours at some point"

Baker to Turner: "The world's going to be yours at some point"
CHICAGO - Dusty Baker had a simple, but important, message for Trea Turner upon sending the young infielder back to Triple-A Syracuse following his weekend stint in the big leagues. "The world is yours," Baker said he told Turner. "All you've got to do is live and breathe and stay healthy, and the world's going to be yours at some point in time." Promoted from Syracuse to take Ryan Zimmerman's roster spot while the veteran first baseman was away on paternity leave, Turner started only...

Game 58 lineups: Nats at White Sox

Game 58 lineups: Nats at White Sox
CHICAGO - Hello from the South Side, where the Nationals are appearing for the first time since the John McLaren Era. For those who have forgotten, that was June 24-26, 2011, when McLaren served as Nats manager for three games following Jim Riggleman's surprise resignation and before Davey Johnson took over, and proceeded to go 2-1 against the White Sox. That technically makes McLaren the most successful manager in team history, at least based on that .667 winning percentage. But anyways, that...

Middle of the order needs consistency to pair well with starting pitching

Middle of the order needs consistency to pair well with starting pitching
Sunday's 10-9 win over the Reds was the best offensive output for the Nationals during the three-game set. Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy and Wilson Ramos combined for nine hits, seven runs, two homers and five RBIs. Manager Dusty Baker said it was a welcome sight to see, following losses in the first two games of the series in which the club combined for five runs on 10 hits. "That was big for Harp, that's the first time he's had three hits in long time," Baker said. "You'd like to see...

In seesaw offensive affair, Papelbon finally saves the day

In seesaw offensive affair, Papelbon finally saves the day
CINCINNATI - After a seesaw battle that saw the Nationals get down early, battle back to take the lead and watch the Reds cut it to one, they finally earned the elusive last out. The Nationals trailed 5-0 and then tied the game at 5-5. They went up 10-5 only to watch the Reds cut it to 10-8. Closer Jonathan Papelbon arrived in the ninth inning to try to get three outs. It was not easy. Tyler Holt started the rally with a single. Joey Votto walked. Brandon Phillips doubled down the left field...

Patrick Reddington: With one-third of season complete, Nats hitters are heating up

Patrick Reddington: With one-third of season complete, Nats hitters are heating up
Though he will reportedly miss a few games this weekend while on the paternity list, Ryan Zimmerman has been heating up in recent weeks, going 30-for-111 over the last month- plus (.270/.320/.550) with eight doubles and seven homers over his last 29 games. Anthony Rendon has put up a .279/.380/.477 line with eight doubles, a triple and four home runs in 30 games since May 1, after a slow start to the season. Daniel Murphy just earned the National League Player of the Month award, after going...

Ramos developing into baseball's best-hitting catcher in 2016

Ramos developing into baseball's best-hitting catcher in 2016
PHILADELPHIA - As each day passes and Wilson Ramos continues to produce at the plate like never before, the rest of the Nationals only find themselves more and more impressed with a catcher who has managed to elevate his game to lofty new heights this season. "Extremely impressive," right-hander Max Scherzer said. "Because those guys are back there grinding and taking balls off the forearm and legs, and they're getting beat up behind the plate." Ramos indeed takes a pounding while...

Nats rounding into form as season moves into third month

Nats rounding into form as season moves into third month
PHILADELPHIA - On nights like this, when Max Scherzer is dealing and guys are producing up and down the lineup to complete a road series sweep, the Nationals have the look of an elite ballclub. Maybe the competition - the suddenly sliding Phillies - wasn't the stiffest, but the Nationals still have to play everyone on the schedule. And so this 7-2 victory at Citizens Bank Park, on the heels of victories each of the previous two nights, was exactly what the Nats needed: No drama. And so they...

Nationals thump Phillies 7-2 to start road trip with sweep

Nationals thump Phillies 7-2 to start road trip with sweep
PHILADELPHIA - The weather's heating up, the Nationals are starting to drive the ball out of the park and Max Scherzer is striking out batters left and right. With homers from Wilson Ramos and Danny Espinosa, plus a string of extra-base hits, the Nationals gave Scherzer plenty of cushion with which to pitch. And the ace right-hander responded with a dominant performance during a 7-2 drubbing of the Phillies to complete a three-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park. The Nationals seemingly did...

Harper leads early All-Star voting, Murphy second at second base

Harper leads early All-Star voting, Murphy second at second base
PHILADELPHIA - The first round of National League All-Star voting was released this afternoon, and for the first time the Nationals have a legitimate shot of having two starters in the game. Bryce Harper leads all NL outfielders early on, with 838,599 votes. Daniel Murphy, meanwhile, ranks second at second base with 488,468 votes. Wilson Ramos, who is fifth among catchers with 209,949 votes, is the only other Nationals player to rank in the top five at his position so far. Harper is a...

Wednesday morning Q&A from Philadelphia

Wednesday morning Q&A from Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA - Is it really June already? How did that happen? Tonight the Nationals play their 54th game of the season, officially the one-third point of the 162-game marathon, and it certainly feels like things have flown by so far. There has been a lot of good for this team so far (Bryce Harper's April, Daniel Murphy's April and May, Stephen Strasburg's perfect record, stellar defense from everyone, a much-improved bullpen). And there has been some bad (Harper's May, just about everyone...

Nats displaying power, but Baker wants more in front of taters

Nats displaying power, but Baker wants more in front of taters
The Nationals offense ignited Sunday, scoring 10 runs one day after allowing the most runs they had in a game this season in 9-4 loss. For most of the season, the Nationals' starting rotation has controlled games, usually for seven innings, keeping the score down and allowing the offense to put together just enough run support to eek out 4-3 or 2-1 or 5-3 wins. But Sunday's power display demonstrated what this offense is capable of when more than one cylinder is firing at the same...

Ramos parlays video study with daughter into big day at plate

Ramos parlays video study with daughter into big day at plate
Wilson Ramos was playing with his 20-month-old daughter Saturday night, impressed with her ability to operate an iPad. Somehow, she managed to change the cartoon she was watching into a video clip of a certain Nationals catcher hitting a home run at Wrigley Field earlier this month. "For some reason, she was pointing it out and saying: 'Daddy! Daddy!' " Ramos said through interpreter Octavio Martinez. "Kind of like saying: 'This is you.' For whatever reason today, I took that same...

Werth's grand slam puts exclamation point on Nats' 10-2 win

Werth's grand slam puts exclamation point on Nats' 10-2 win
Jayson Werth's most celebrated home run of his Nationals career came against the Cardinals to force Game 5 in the 2012 National League Divisional Series. Werth provided another memorable moment against the team from St. Louis on Sunday. Coming off the bench in the seventh, Werth hit his first pinch-hit grand slam to help the Nationals down the Cardinals 10-2. What a way to spend a day off. It was the Nationals' 30th victory of the season. The win got the Nats a split in the four-game series...

Lobaton back with Gonzalez, but not because lefty didn't mesh with Ramos

Lobaton back with Gonzalez, but not because lefty didn't mesh with Ramos
Jose Lobaton will be behind the plate tonight against the Cardinals, resuming his regular battery with left-hander Gio Gonzalez.Wilson Ramos got the unusual call to catch for Gonzalez in his last start May 23 in a 7-1 loss to the Mets. Gonzalez struggled, going five innings and allowing seven runs on 10 hits, including three homers, with no walks and seven strikeouts. Nationals manager Dusty Baker said Lobaton is back catching Gonzalez, but not because because Ramos called a bad game or the...